Todd Frakes joined the Drake football coaching staff in March 2012 as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He brought significant experience both as a player and coach at many different levels of football, including nine years as a collegiate coach.

In his first season with the Bulldogs’ defense backs, he helped engineer a pass defense that ranked second in the Pioneer Football League by allowing just 185 passing yards per game.

Individually, three of Drake’s defensive backs earned all-PFL honors in Frakes’ first season in Des Moines.

Frakes has experienced success at every stop in his career. Prior to joining the staff at Drake, he was an assistant coach at San Francisco’s St. Ignatius College Prep in 2011. As running backs coach he helped lead St. Ignatius to just the second Central Coastal Section title in school history.

Before his season at St. Ignatius, Frakes spent time overseas as head coach of the Kirchdorf Wildcats of the South Bavarian League in Germany. In his only season with Kirchdorf, Frakes also handled defensive coordinator duties while leading his team to a 14-1 record and an SBL championship.

Frakes began his coaching career after playing football at Centre College in Danville, Ky. He started for three seasons at defensive back, serving as a captain and earning all-conference honors as a senior in 1998.

Frakes’ joined the coaching staff following his successful playing career, eventually serving as special teams coordinator, defensive coordinator, and recruiting coordinator at different times. In his nine seasons as an assistant at Centre his teams went 59-30, including a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in 2003. Frakes coached 20 All-SCAC performers in the defensive backfield during his time on staff.

Frakes earned his bachelor of arts degree from Centre College in economics in 1998. He received the David F. Hughes Memorial Scholarship and was granted a University Graduate Scholarship (full scholarship) to attend the University of Cincinnati. There he received a Master of Applied Economics degree with a concentration in business.